St Paul I mentioned earlier in the week that last Sunday's Mass Readings were very rich with advice for a discerner.
Take a look at the Second Reading, from St Paul to the Romans. Again, it speaks for itself:
"Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do."
When discerners ask me how they can know the will of God, I often point them to this passage. St Paul's advice is to put on a "new mind". That new mind is in imitation of Christ. This is a big aid to those who are discerning. The more one lives the Christian life, the more the will of God should be easier to discern. And, of course, one cannot begin to think of religious life until one is already living the Christian life...
It can really be tough sometimes to change your old mind since it has been so used to it. People often influence our behavior because we let them overpower us. If only we could be strong enough to let the Christian mind rule our lives, then we'd have an easier time knowing how to live it right.
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